Jabari Parker laughs in the stands during an NCAA college basketball game between Brigham Young and Cal State Northridge in Provo, Utah, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. The Cougars played with Parker, one of the nation's top high school recruits, in attendance.AP Photo

EAST LANSING -- Welcome to the first edition of Ask Diamond!
Thanks for submitting your questions on Michigan State basketball, and I have
done my best to answer some of them here.

Q: Do you see Russell Byrd progressing into the shooting
threat he was supposed to be pre-injury?

A: I did not get an opportunity to see Byrd play in high
school, but there is certainly hope that he can become more than a serviceable
shooter on the college level after three surgeries to his left foot. It appears
to be a matter of confidence at this point rather than mechanics that has led
to a 28 percent shooting percentage. So yes, there is progress that can be made
there once a few more shots start falling for him. Will there be enough time
for that before Big Ten play begins and Tom Izzo shortens his rotation? We'll
have to wait and see.

Q: What have you been hearing on Jabari Parker? Do you think
he will come to State?

A: I really don't know, and people that say they do either
must have access into the mind of a teenager or are actually giving their best
guess based on hearsay. Those that are recruiting him are naturally optimistic
because they've made it this far with one of the top recruits in the nation.

Q: Considering the amount of effort Coach Izzo has invested
in making Derrick Nix a better player, why hasn't Derrick's inefficient running
motion been addressed in the four years he has been part of the program?

A: It has been addressed as Izzo has talked about it
numerous times, once comparing Nix to a hippopotamus also saying Nix has
improved. Keith Appling also mentioned that his fellow Detroit Pershing graduate
was a runner in high school. There's a certain understanding that no matter
much weight Nix loses -- and from a pounds standpoint, it isn't much if any in
the past year -- he's going to be heavier player and that when it comes to a
running motion, it is what it is.

Q: I was wondering if you could tell us which MSU players
have pro potential, and where they are supposed to be drafted?

A: Branden Dawson and Gary Harris have the biggest potential
to become first-round NBA draft picks. Izzo still thinks Dawson has a long way
to go from fully recovering from the long layoff following ACL surgery, and
with a full offseason to work on skill development, he could greatly improve
his draft stock. Harris is only a freshman and already showing a court presence
beyond his years combined with great athleticism. Appling, Adreian Payne and
Denzel Valentine could be pros if their skills continue to develop.

Q: It seems to continue to be an issue that we lack a
consistent 3-point threat. In games like the loss to Miami, it's difficult to
erase that kind of deficit getting two points at a time and in the case of that
game, Miami shot 56% from the arc. Many of the top programs seem to have solid
3-point shooting in their arsenal. Is there anything being done relative to
recruiting to address this issue?

A: Michigan State is shooting 31 percent from beyond the
arc, which is better than what its opponents have shot but will need to
improve. It helps the Spartans that one of their best shooters, Travis Trice,
is back after recovering from a concussion and is improving his shot as he
goes. It has hurt the team that Byrd has struggled because Izzo knows he needs
that threat. The overall percentage can come up as the Spartans improve their
shot selection and passing. The percentage should come up as Izzo shortens his
bench, and better opponents lead to more efficiency in that category.

Q: Is it true that MSU will go as far as its ability to
eliminate team-wide turnover issues?

A: It's correct that Michigan State has been careless with
the ball, averaging better than 15 turnovers a game this season and more than
its opponents. In the early part of the season, many mistakes have been made. Yes, some
of those turnovers were committed while dealing with backcourt injury issues. But turnovers will cost the Spartans games if the
trend continues, especially in the Big Ten season.

Q: What about Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones? Are you hearing
anything about the pair coming to EL? I know everybody wants Parker and rightly
so, but these two would be an even bigger get.

A:Okafor has used the word "great" in discussing his
relationship with Izzo and the kind of conversations he's had with him. Jones
was in the stands at Breslin Center alongside Izzo's wife, Lupe, during his
visit to campus. That doesn't mean other schools don't have similarly great
relationships with Michigan State, but it is a good sign for the Spartans, who
face competition to land those commitments. In Jones' case, he has narrowed his
list in alphabetical order to Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State,
Minnesota, Ohio State and North Carolina.

Q: Seven teams picked for the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
Is MSU being considered for 8th spot?

A: Yes. It's a high-profile tournament in the Bahamas that already
includes Kansas, Tennessee, USC, UTEP, Villanova, Wake Forest, Xavier in the 2013 field. To do so, Izzo has indicated he will need to get out of a previous
commitment to the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Brooklyn.